-1- Item no: Council of Ministers agenda Item No: __________________ (Year) Meeting Date of Council of Ministers: __________________ Secret Copy No:____________ Government of Punjab Department of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare (Agriculture-4 Branch) Memorandum Minister in charge Chief Minister, Punjab Secretary in charge Additional Chief Secretary, Development Department of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare Subject: To Introduce “The Punjab Tissue Culture Based Seed Potato Rules, 2021" in the State.
1.0 Horticulture crops are emerging as the major replacement under the crop diversification programme, by occupying only 4.84% of total cropped area with the production of around 73.50 Lakh Metric Tonnes, contributing share of 12.43% of the total agriculture GDP of the state.
Under this, focus is on production of quality seed potato through tissue culture technique using areoponics/nethouse technology, thus increasing the income of the farmers and generating the chances of self employment.
1.1 An approximate of 1.00 Lakh hectare area is sown under potato crop in the state, for which there is demand of quality seed potato. There is demand of approximately 4 LMT of quality seed potato in the state, but there is negligible supply of quality seed potato from Central Potato Research Institute, Shimla.
1.2 Apart from the demand of quality seed potato within the state, there is also the demand from outside the state, because Punjab is bestowed with unique climatic conditions, which results in virus/bacterial/pathogen free production of quality seed potato. Some of the traders illegally supply the poor quality seed potato by putting the mark of Punjab seed potato, which brings bad name to the state “The Punjab Tissue Culture Based Seed Potato Act, 2020” and after the implementation of “The Punjab Tissue Culture Based Seed Potato Rules, 2021” prepared under this Act, Punjab state will be developed as
(1) Seed Potato Hub. More area can be brought under Potato crop thus achieving the target of Diversification
1.3 Currently, by Tissue Culture technique using Aeroponics/net house technology more quality potato seed can be produced in a short span of time. The license for use of this technology is issued by CPRI, Shimla and it is monitored by the scientists of the institute from time to time. As per traditional clonal method, the rate of multiplication is only 1:05, whereas through tissue culture technique, rate of multiplication is 1:50, which is around 10 times as compared to traditional method. It is required to certify the seed potato and its successive generations produced through tissue culture technique, so that farmers could get quality seed potato and could increase their income.
1.4 To fulfill this motive and for certification of Tissue Culture Based Seed Potato this department has introduced “The Punjab Tissue Culture Based Seed Potato Act, 2020” (Punjab Act No. 18 of 2020) dated 06-11- 2020 through The Legislative Supplementary Gazette (extraordinary)
1.5 To implement “The Punjab Tissue Culture Based Seed Potato Act, 2020” there is proposal to notify “The Punjab Tissue Culture Based Seed Potato Rules, 2021”. Currently seed potato produced through net house/aeroponic technique is not certified and with the implementation of the proposed rules through SoP’s (Standard Operating Procedure), seed potato produced through the new technology will be certified. With the implementation of the proposed rules, there will be availability of good quality seed potato to the farmers and there will be control over the black marketing of sub standard seed potato which will be the milestone in uplifting the economic status of seed potato producers of the state.
1.6 The draft of “The Punjab Tissue Culture Based Seed Potato Rules, 2021” was sent to Legal Remembrancer, Punjab they have vetted the draft vide their U.O no. 482/Leg.359/2021 dated 16-07-2021 and has advised as below:
The A.D. has sent the draft of The Punjab Tissue Culture Based Seed Potato Rules, 2021 available at flag “A” for vetting. For this purpose, the matter has been discussed with Sh. Ravipal Singh, Horticulture Development Officer. Thus, the said draft rule has been examined by this department and necessary amendments have been made for consideration of the Administrative Department. It is for the
(2) Administrative Department to see whether the draft rules so vetted by this department meets its administrative requirements, reflects their intention correctly. However, the following points are worth bringing to the notice of the Administrative Department:-
1. In rule 2 of the draft rules, a new definition of term “Government” has been added by this department. The Administrative Department may see this aspect.
2. In the said draft rules, after sub-rule (1) of rule 2, sub-rule (2) has been added by this department for consideration of the Administrative Department.
3. In rule 6 of the draft rules, the Administrative Department has proposed application fees of rupees on ehundred in cash form only. This department is of the view that the proposed fees may be deposited either in cash form or by way of bank draft or by any other digital mode.
4. In the said draft rules, a new rule 7 has been added byt his department as “interpretation”. The Administrative Department may see this aspect.
5. It is pointed out that form-‘A’ to form-‘E’ are appended along with the aforesaid draft rules. These Forms are not required to be vetted by this department as the same consist factual as well as technical position. Therefore, the Administrative Department may verify its contents at its own level before its publication in the Official Gazette.
1.7 After considering the advice of Legal Remembrancer, Punjab the required amendments has been incorporated in the revised draft of “The Punjab Tissue Culture Based Seed Potato Rules, 2021”
1.8 There is no financial implication involved in the implementation of “The Punjab Tissue Culture Based Seed Potato Rules, 2021”
2.0 The draft of “The Punjab Tissue Culture Based Seed Potato Rules, 2021” which is attached as Annexure-I, is required to be approved by Council Of Ministers.
3.0 The proposal is attached as Annexure-A
4.0 Approval of the Council of Ministers is Solicited to the proposal contained in Para 2 of this Memorandum.
5.0 The Proposal contained in this memorandum has been seen and approved by the Chief Minister as Minister-in-charge of the Department of Agriculture.
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6.0 Permission of the Chief Minister has been obtained for placing this memorandum before the Council of Ministers.
Anirudh Tewari Additional Chief Secretary (Development) Department of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare Punjab.
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